The topics below, although approached from a regional perspective, are particularly relevant to Russia. These websites will include information about reports or projects specific to the country.
ECONOMIC POLICY AND GOVERNANCE
In the World Bank's client countries of Eastern Europe and Central Asia, nearly 500 million people in 28 countries have now witnessed more than a decade and a half of profound changes in their political and economic lives. For most of the region, the aftershocks of the collapse of central planning caused a precipitous drop in output and sharp increases in poverty and unemployment. Read more
EUROPEAN INTEGRATION
The World Bank has promoted far-reaching economic and social reforms in the eight Central European and Baltic countries (EU8) that joined the EU on May 2004. In response to specific interest from the new member states, The World Bank is prepared to assist in those areas where the Bank's global expertise or past country experience creates a comparative advantage. Read more
FOOD AND FUEL PRICES
Managing the Effects of Higher Food and Fuel Prices
The twin food and fuel price hikes, now compounded by the global financial crisis, are impacting world macroeconomic stability, and policy responses have generated fiscal pressures in many developing countries. Read more
GENDER
Gender issues in the transition countries of Europe and Central Asia are markedly different from those in other regions of the world. Gender equity was one of the major achievements of the Soviet Union and the socialist regimes of Central Europe. Literacy rates were high among both women and men, levels of female employment often exceeded those of the OECD countries, and benefits such as pensions were provided equally to men and women. Read more
HEALTH
The World Bank has been addressing clients' needs in the Health area in Europe and Central Asia through policy and investment lending and cross-sectoral analytical work. Lending operations in most countries aim to modernize public health services, supporting the state to allocate scarce resources based on evidence and need. Read more
KNOWLEDGE ECONOMY
Forum Series
There is a growing awareness amongst policy makers, international organizations, academia and think tanks, the business community and civil society, that the ability of society to acquire and use knowledge is increasingly becoming a key factor in determining the competitiveness of a country's economy. The importance of knowledge for development is likely to grow over the years to come and may well mean the difference between prosperity and poverty, both between but also within countries. Read more
MACRO-ECONOMICS AND GROWTH
While it is now indisputable that economic growth is central to raising the incomes of the poor, macroeconomic reforms and stabilization while remaining critical, are no longer viewed as sufficient to achieving the needed growth. Read more
MIGRATION AND REMITTANCES
Migration in Eastern Europe and Central Asia is unique and significant: ECA accounts for one-third of all developing country emigration, and Russia is the second largest immigration country worldwide. Migrants’ remittances, as a portion of gross domestic product, are also large by world standards in many of the net emigration countries of the region. Read more
POVERTY
Poor people in Eastern Europe and Central Asia have much in common with the poor in other parts of the world, namely an inability to meet basic material needs. However, the region’s historical legacy, the experience of transition and specific geographic factors create unique challenges. Read more
ROMA
Roma communities in central and southeastern Europe have a history of being excluded from the labor market and still face severe barriers to employment. Besides being marginalized socially, Roma were typically the first to lose their jobs at the outset of the post-communist transition. Read more
SOCIAL PROTECTION
Besides affecting the private sector, the current global economic downturn has a far-reaching impact on government revenues around the world. As country budgets are squeezed tight, social programs which directly help poor and vulnerable people will become pressure points for reducing government spending. Read more
TRADE AND INTEGRATION
In today’s economically integrated world, trade matters more than ever before. Countries that have intensified their links with the global economy through trade and investment have usually grown more rapidly over a sustained period and have consequently experienced larger reductions in poverty. Read more
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